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Latest news, analysis and opinion on the law and legal issues, including Hong Kong extradition law. Follow the latest on trials, court cases and justice.
Hong Kong motorists will face higher financial penalties starting on January 1. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong to raise fines for 19 traffic offences on January 1

New penalties to range from HK$480 for minor offences to HK$1,500 for serious violations such as driving more than 45km/h over speed limit.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine’s parliament rocked by new bribery scandal as Zelensky heads to US talks

Singapore

Singapore in 2025: election fever, courtroom drama, pickleball mania

South Korea

Yoon faces 10-year jail term in South Korea over first of 4 failed coup trials

During a hearing, Yoon appears tense and laughs in disbelief as special prosecutors present the charges in his first trial.

South Korea’s then impeached president Yoon Suk-Yeol attends a hearing at the Constitutional Court in Seoul in February. Photo: AP
Malaysia

With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to ‘prepare for the worst’?

The High Court will rule on abuse of power and money laundering charges, with Najib facing the prospect of lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

The Philippines

Philippine court upholds murder verdict in Duterte’s drug war case

While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.

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Hong Kong courts

Legal Tales | Free for all or fees for all? Hong Kong’s legal aid levels the scales

From pro bono work to legal aid, the city’s lawyers help ensure access to the courts is not reserved only for those with deep pockets.

Photos of the Goddess sculpture at the Court of Final Appeal in Central. 31MAY17 SCMP / Sam Tsang
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong’s new legislators must strengthen child protection laws

The city’s children need better legal protection from cruelty, sexual grooming and internet advances.

Malaysia

Najib’s children lament Malaysian court ruling – ‘we thought he was coming home’

The ex-prime minister has lost his case to have his imprisonment commuted to house arrest based on a supposed royal decree.

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South Korea

Yoon’s ex-aides express ‘disbelief’ over South Korean martial law plan

The two aides’ testimonies give a rare insight into the thinking of the former president, who is charged with leading the ‘insurrection’.

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Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after then South Korea president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Photo: AFP
United States

‘Untrue’: US releases thousands of new Epstein-linked documents

The Justice Department, which has posted around 30,000 more pages, said some ⁠contained ‘untrue and sensationalist’ claims against President Trump.

This photo released by the US Department of Justice shows a desk with a drawer open and photographs, documented in 2019, during a search of Jeffrey Epstein’s home in New York. Photo: US Department of Justice via AP
Malaysia

Malaysian rapper Namewee acquitted of drug use charge after negative test

The 42-year-old still faces a drug possession charge and remains under investigation following the death of a Taiwanese influencer.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong lawyers give free aid to Tai Po residents at loss over next legal steps

As residents of Wang Fuk Court rebuild their lives, hundreds of lawyers have stepped in to help them understand their legal options.

Malaysia

‘Was he the Hulk?’: Malaysian officer goes viral after ripping off car door

The officer became an unlikely internet sensation when a dashcam video showed him ripping apart a suspect’s car door ‘like a banana leaf’.

A Malaysian police officer is seen wrenching a suspect’s car door open with his bare hands in a dashcam video that has gone viral. Photo: TikTok/Mazmar93
South Korea

South Korea’s top court seeks to restore trust after martial law controversy

The changes target high-stakes national security cases amid mounting criticism over delays and alleged bias.

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South Korea’s Constitutional Court justices attend a hearing in Seoul on Thursday to deliver a verdict on the impeachment of former police chief Cho Ji-ho over his role in former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law bid. Photo: EPA
South Korea martial law 2024

South Korea’s police chief removed for supporting martial law plot

Cho Ji-ho was removed for sending officers to disrupt parliament and undermine the election commission’s independence, the Constitutional Court ruled.

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Hong Kong courts

Legal Tales | Despite lapses behind Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s unity shows in a time of crisis

Catastrophic fires in other places offer lessons in the administration of justice, but Hongkongers’ care and resilience will carry them through.

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Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Australia banned social media for children under 16 earlier this month. Photo: dpa
Accidents and disasters in China

How will Jimmy Lai’s conviction affect China-UK ties, Starmer’s planned visit?

Outcome of ex-media tycoon’s Hong Kong trial poses stern test for Labour government’s balancing act with Beijing, observers say.

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Jimmy Lai trial

Open court, detailed ruling in Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

Lawyers urge members of public to study the court’s judgment before drawing conclusions after Western countries hit out at Lai verdict.

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Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong court’s verdict in Jimmy Lai trial sheds light on law, experts say

Judges stress that Lai’s actions before enactment of national security law were not the subject of any charges, serving only as background.

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Jimmy Lai, 78, was found guilty on all three charges he faced under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Photo: Winson Wong
Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s conviction in Hong Kong becomes flashpoint between China, West

Western nations unlikely to hit city with more sanctions as they need Beijing’s cooperation to offset unfair US trade practices, experts say.

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The ruling could send Jimmy Lai to jail for life. Photo: AP
Jimmy Lai trial

Jimmy Lai’s ‘rabid hatred’ of party led him down ‘thorny path’: Hong Kong court

Judges find former media boss guilty of national security offences, dismissing his ‘inconsistent, contradictory and unreliable’ testimony.

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Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai used personal ties to seek foreign sanctions: court ruling

Former media boss tapped into vast political network for intervention against Beijing and Hong Kong, according to 857-page judgment.

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Hong Kong courts

Hong Kong barrister granted temporary anonymity in molestation case

Court approves 32-year-old defendant’s request to hide his name to protect alleged victim’s identity.

The Eastern Court building in Sai Wan Ho. Photo: SCMP
Japan

Security or freedom? Japan’s proposed anti-spy laws raise human rights concerns

Prime Minister Takaichi’s plans to tighten spying and secrecy rules could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom, analysts say.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters
Singapore

Singapore’s Pritam Singh apologises, Mediacorp pulls show over contempt claims

The episode of ‘The Assembly’ was aired while the court was deciding on the opposition leader’s appeal against a false testimony conviction.

The Philippines

Brutal dog killing in Philippines sparks outrage, calls for tougher protections

Viral footage of Axle the dog’s shocking death has galvanised the country’s animal activists to demand harsh legal repercussions.

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